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I’ve been seeing the telltale signs that winter is finally at an end…my fellow train commuters are swapping their heavy coats for raincoats, there are more hours of sunlight during the day, and the price of artichokes is (finally!) dropping at the grocer. Spring is definitely in the air!

My boyfriend Robert, who grew up in an Italian-American family, often reminisces about his late mother’s baked stuffed artichokes. Living in Rhode Island, we are fortunate to have access to good Italian markets, where we can find terrific pre-made artichokes at the deli counters. However, there is simply no comparison to a home cooked version made with love.

Since the artichokes at our local market have been so gorgeous (and finally affordable) recently, I had to pick up a few to experiment with. I decided to create my own recipe in tribute to this very Italian dish, but gave it an Asian twist—adding shiitake mushrooms and replacing the usual Italian bread crumbs with lighter Japanese panko.

Baked Stuffed Artichokes with Panko, Black Olives and Shiitake Mushrooms

Makes enough stuffing for 4 small artichokes or or 2 large artichokes (Artichokes can be comically huge these days.)

Ingredients:

• 4 small or 2 large artichokes
• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 cup Japanese panko flakes
• 1-2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 8-10 black olives (diced)
• 2-3 tablespoons re-hydrated shiitake mushrooms (chopped)
• Additional olive oil for brushing the artichokes/baking dish
• Lemon wedges for serving

Directions:

First, prepare the artichokes for stuffing: Slice about an inch off the top of each artichoke and snip the sharp tips of each leaf with scissors. Pull out the woody inner leaves from the center until the fuzzy “choke” covering the heart is revealed. Remove the fuzz with a small sharp knife or spoon. (I use a strawberry/tomato huller gadget that works really well.) Remove the stems of the artichokes, cutting them flush against the base so the artichokes are able to sit upright in a baking dish. Peel the stems with a vegetable peeler, removing the tough outer layer. (Note: Artichokes will brown quickly once they are cut—to prevent this, put out a large bowl of water with some lemon juice squeezed into it and keep the cut artichokes in the bowl until you have finished prepping all of them.)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the artichokes and peeled stems along with the salt and two tablespoons of lemon juice. Boil for about 30 minutes, or until the leaves are tender. While the artichokes are cooking, re-hydrate the shiitake mushrooms in a cup of warm water.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove the artichokes and stems from the water and place upside down on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Chop the cooked artichoke stems and shiitake mushrooms into small pieces (reserving a few mushroom slices for garnish). Combine the olive oil, panko flakes, minced garlic, ground pepper, diced olives, chopped mushrooms, and chopped stems in a mixing bowl. Place artichokes upright in lightly oiled baking dish. Spoon mixture into each hollowed out artichoke and brush all over with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, garnish with reserved mushroom, and serve with lemon wedges.

(Note: To make an Italian artichoke that is more like what Robert’s mother used to make…add a little extra oil to the stuffing, skip the shiitake mushrooms, and use seasoned Italian bread crumbs instead of the panko. And of course, don’t forget the love.)

Happy Spring!

I eat a lot of whole grains. For breakfast, I regularly have whole grain cereal such as oatmeal, muesli or bran flakes; or toasted whole grain bread with toppings (such as natural peanut butter, sliced cheese and tomato, or baked beans). A typical weekday lunch is a sandwich, stuffed pita, or wrap made with whole grain breads. When we make pizza at home, we’ll often use a large whole wheat pita as the crust. I also love bulgur (made from whole wheat) topped with stew, or in tabbouleh salad. And if I feel like a snack, I’ll often have some air-popped popcorn (popcorn is a whole grain) or a whole grain cracker.

But I’m certainly not a fan of all whole grain foods. I’ve tried brown rice several times, in several different ways, and each time I was thoroughly disappointed — not only with the flavor, but also with the texture. In comparison, white rice is light in texture and subtle in flavor. It embraces the flavors of the foods it’s paired with, whereas I find that brown rice does just the opposite and tends to overpower the taste of other food.

So I basically gave up on brown rice a long time ago. And I’m not the only one. White rice has been far more popular than brown rice throughout Asia and the Mediterranean for many generations. And no wonder — I couldn’t imagine sitting down to plateful of brown rice sushi, or eating brown rice paella or risotto either!

But what about all those naysayers who tell you that white rice is fattening and unhealthy? What a load of nonsense. The leanest, healthiest and longest-living peoples in the world eat white rice regularly. This makes it obvious that white rice is far from a dietary villain.

Indeed, research has found that for the last 30 years rice consumption in Japan has dropped by over 50 percent. (This is because many Japanese, particularly the younger generation, are embracing a Western-style diet.) Over the same period, guess what’s happened? Obesity rates have climbed steadily.

Now I’m not saying that the answer to a leaner healthier body is to rush out and grab a large sackful of white rice. But what I’m saying is that white rice, in all it’s wonderful varieties (including Italian arborio, Indian basmati, Thai jasmine, Spanish calasparra, Japanese koshihikari), can fit perfectly into a varied and balanced diet.

The key is to eat rice like people from Mediterranean and Asian cultures do: in moderate portions (yes, calories do count), and mixed with slowly-digesting foods like fish, beans, poultry, plant oils, and vegetables. This not only makes the rice taste a whole lot better, it also means that it’s digested at a slow and steady rate — so you won’t get blood sugar swings and rebound hunger.

The following risotto recipe — which contains a mix of arborio rice, chickpeas, vegetables and extra virgin olive oil — is a good example of what I mean.

Roasted Garlic, Pumpkin & Red Pepper Risotto with Spinach & Chickpeas

Serves 2 to 3

• 2 cups peeled and cubed pumpkin or winter squash (cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 1 red pepper — deseeded and cut into quarters
• 6 cloves garlic — left unpeeled
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 onion — finely chopped
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 10 kalamata olives — pitted and quartered
• 2 packed cups roughly chopped fresh spinach
• 1 cup canned chickpeas — rinsed well and drained
• 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

PREHEAT an oven to 450F/230C. PLACE the pumpkin, red pepper and garlic cloves in a baking dish and toss with 1 tablespoon of the oil, the balsamic vinegar and rosemary until well coated. BAKE for 20 minutes. WHILE the vegetables cook, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onion for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. ADD the rice, stir to coat the grains in oil and cook for 1 minute. ADD the wine, stock, salt, black pepper, olives and spinach, stir to combine and bring to a boil. COVER with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes without lifting the lid. REMOVE the red pepper and garlic from the baking dish. ADD the chickpeas to the baking dish with the pumpkin and return to the oven for 5 minutes. ROUGHLY chop the peppers. SQUEEZE the garlic pulp from the skins and stir into the risotto with the parmesan, lemon juice and remaining tablespoon of oil. STIR in the red pepper, pumpkin and chickpeas to combine.

Gnocchi are not only a delicious Mediterranean dish, but the culture behind them is so rich that cooking and eating them is as much a pleasure for the palate as it is for the learning appetite.

Although the most common version known around the world and in Italy are made from potatoes, there is also Gnocchi Alla Romana made from semolina, Cannederli a typical dish from north Italy which is made from bread crumbs and similar to Knödel, which is a side dish common in Germany and Austria.

There are types of Gnocchi big and small, simple and stuffed with all kinds of fillings, and often mixed with colored vegetables not only to enrich their flavor and nutritional value, but also to make them look nicer.

Although typically Italian, it is also traditional in countries with Italian influence like Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil. And it is precisely there (or at least in Argentina, as far as I know) where there is a curious tradition of eating Gnocchi on the 29th day of each month.One of the possible origins of this tradition comes from the Veneto, the Italian northeastern Region where Venice is situated. In the 8th century, a pilgrim doctor named Pantaleone starving in his journey on a 29th was receieved by contadini (farmers) to share their bread based poor meal and, in return, Pantaleone predicted a year of great crops and fishing that became true. Pantaleone is an important Saint of Venice, although St Marcus is the actual patron of the city.

Being a cheap food, Gnocchi also has a background as Cucina Povera (the “cuisine” of the poor) meaning that many of the variations of it were made out of the necessity to overcome food and money shortage, rather than gourmet projects.

One of the things that I like about Cucina Povera is that a daily reinvention of the dish is already part of the culture behind it. So, following the Cucina Povera spirit, I decided to create my own version of Broccoli Gnocchi.

Broccoli Gnocchi with Cheese sauce

Ingredients for the gnocchi

• 200g (7 Oz) of broccoli
• 3 medium potatoes
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup of flour

Directions for the gnocchi

1. Chop the broccoli in pieces and boil or steam until tender,
2. Cut the potatoes in pieces and boil them until tender,
3. Smash the potatoes and let them reach room temperature or slightly above,
4. Pass the broccoli through the food processor or chop it in very small pieces,
5. Save about a spoon of grated broccoli for decoration and mix the rest with the potatoes,
6. Add the egg and the flour, add more flour if needed, but don’t let it become too dry, ideally it should stick to the hand,
7. Put flour on a clean surface and roll the mix to form long and slightly thick pieces,
8. Cut them into small pieces and cook them in abundant boiling water, the Gnocchi are going to sink, but they’ll float as soon as they are ready, collect them from the surface and prepare them to serve.

Ingredients for the sauce

• 1 cup of milk
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• 50g (~2 Oz) of grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper

Directions for the sauce

1. Mix well the flour with the cold or room-temperature milk,
2. Add the salt and pepper,
3. Cook it on low flame mixing slowly and constantly until it starts to thicken,
4. Add the grated cheese and mix until it melts and pour over the Gnocchi,
5. Add the extra broccoli you saved for decoration.

Serves: 2/3

The other night, Trudy and I dropped into our local supermarket to pick up a few staples, and while I was in the refrigerated section something really caught my eye. It was a flashy looking new brand of pesto.

Now, I’m a pesto lover from way back, but I’m usually pretty wary of pre-packaged pesto — simply because I’ve had some rather dismal tasting pre-packaged stuff in the past. But the packaging was so slick, and the contents looked so remarkably good that I at least had to look at the ingredient list to see whether it was made to the classic Genoese recipe. (The Italian city of Genoa is where pesto originates, by the way.)

I scanned the ingredients list, and wasn’t disappointed.

Basil. Check.
Garlic. Check.
Extra virgin olive oil. Check.
Parmesan. Check.
Pine nuts. Check.

And there weren’t any bizarre sounding additives or preservatives either — a definite bonus.

At this stage I was getting seriously tempted to just throw the pesto in the cart, but I knew that Trudy would need some convincing first. Like me, she’s very aware that pre-packaged pesto can be very hit or miss. But after showing her the authentic list of ingredients, and pointing out how incredibly tasty it looked, she agreed that it was at least worth giving a try.

Well, the pesto might have contained all the right ingredients and looked glorious, but when we got it home and tossed it through some pasta with shrimp and green beans, it tasted far from glorious. It had a slight vinegary undertone, and the consistency was way too dry (I think this was because they’d skimped on the extra virgin olive oil, and probably the pine nuts as well — both relatively expensive ingredients).

Anyway, the upshot of the evening was that we vowed never to buy pre-packaged pesto again, no matter how flashy the packaging! And besides, we have our own pesto recipe that we both really adore. Yes, it takes a little more work than pulling the top off a package of store-bought pesto, but not that much more.

We don’t take the time-consuming route and use a mortar and pestle to pound the pesto into a paste by hand. We’ve found that the results in a food processor or blender can be excellent, and we actually prefer the slightly more textural consistency of pesto made this way.

And speaking of consistency, we’re definitely not fans of pesto that’s either too oily or too dry. So we’ve found a great trick is to add a little water along with the other ingredients before processing. This gives the pesto a perfect consistency — moist, but not too oily. It also helps the blades process the other ingredients more easily into a paste.

We’ve also found that it’s a good idea not to go overboard with the garlic. Raw garlic is very pungent, and it can easily overwhelm the flavor of the other ingredients in the pesto. Of course, if you’re a bit of a garlic fiend, feel free to add more!

Pesto

Makes roughly 1 cup

• 1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a food processor or blender, combine the basil, Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic, water, salt, and pepper. While you process, slowly pour the olive oil into the mix until all the ingredients turn into a smooth paste (you may have to scrape the sides occasionally). Store in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Serving Ideas: Pesto has a myriad of uses, such as tossed with hot pasta, spread over bruschetta, used as a pizza sauce, stirred into soups just before serving, mixed with mayonnaise to dress salads and sandwiches, used as a filling for baked potatoes, or served as a dip with vegetable crudités.

Variations: Walnuts, pistachios, macadamias, almonds, or cashews can be substituted for the pine nuts.

I recently enjoyed an excellent, leisurely lunch with family and loved ones at a Turkish restaurant. When the coffee (hot, strong and Turkish, of course) arrived after our meal, we were pleased to find small cubes of Turkish Delight perched on each of our saucers. Also known as lokum, it is a traditional, jelly-like Middle Eastern confection that has been around for centuries.

We found that each morsel was small but satisfying…lightly sweet and delicately flavored with rosewater, just one piece was enough for each of us. Despite being fat-free and small in size, it still seemed indulgent. It was a pleasant ending to an already perfect meal.

While it is easy enough to buy Turkish Delight in the shops, it is also fairly easy to make at home. There are numerous recipes for Turkish Delight out there, with all kinds of variations on ingredients and flavors…some with orange peel, some with lemon peel, some with rosewater or mint or nuts. This recipe is pretty easy and close to what we enjoyed that lazy afternoon:

Turkish Delight (Lokum)

(Note: This needs to set overnight before cutting and serving, so please plan accordingly.)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 1/2 cups water (divided into 1 1/2 cup and 3 cup quantities)
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 1/2 tablespoon rosewater (available from Middle Eastern markets)
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup cornstarch
• Red food coloring

Coating:

• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch

Equipment:

• 2 large, heavy saucepans
• Candy thermometer
• 9″x9″ square baking dish
• Wax paper or plastic wrap
• Vegetable oil

Optional Equipment:

A strong and patient friend to take turns stirring the pot because your arm will probably get tired!

Directions:

Combine sugar, 1 1/2 cups of water, and lemon juice and heat in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and mixture reaches a boil, then reduce heat and simmer without stirring until mixture reaches 240ºF (”soft ball” stage) on the candy thermometer. Remove from heat.

In the other saucepan over medium heat, stir 1 cup of cornstarch and 1 teaspoon cream of tartar together while gradually adding 3 cups of water. Stir mixture to remove lumps, until it has reached a boil and is the consistency of paste

Gradually add the sugar/water/lemon juice syrup to the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer, frequently stirring to prevent sticking. Continue to stir for about an hour (this is where having a friend to take turns comes in handy), then stir in the rosewater and a tiny drop of red food coloring if you want to add a nice rose or red tint.

Oil the inside of the 9″x9″ baking dish with the vegetable oil and line with the wax paper or plastic wrap. Oil the wax paper/plastic wrap as well.

Pour the mixture into the oiled and lined baking dish and spread evenly. (Note: this probably goes without saying, but the mixture will be VERY hot, so be careful while pouring and try not to forget and casually wipe stray drips away with your finger…you WILL get burned!) Allow to cool overnight.

The next day, tip the hardened mixture out of the pan onto a cutting board. If your wax paper is fused to the mixture and is difficult to remove, gently dampen the surface of the paper with warm water and let it sit for a minute…it should peel away easily after that. Cut into one inch cubes with an oiled knife. I thought it would be fun and romantic to make heart shapes for Valentine’s Day, so I used a very small heart shaped cookie cutter instead.

Combine 1 cup confectioners sugar and 1/4 cup cornstarch and sift into a bowl. Roll the cut pieces in the mixture to coat. (Don’t be afraid to coat generously, because the candy will absorb some of it.) Store in an airtight container, separating each layer of Turkish Delight with wax paper.

This pairs wonderfully with a cup of mint or cardamom tea. Enjoy!

When it comes to the classic Provençal vegetable dish ratatouille, I prefer it roasted not stirred. What I mean is I’d rather eat ratatouille that’s been cooked in the oven where the vegetables are left alone to slowly roast in their own juices, than ratatouille that’s been made on the stove-top where the vegetables are often overcooked and stirred to a mush.

Until quite recently I’d only ever made ratatouille on the stove-top. The results had always been very palatable, but not what I would describe as overwhelmingly good. I’d always put this down to the fact that I wasn’t cooking each vegetable separately, a method that some recipes recommend to preserve the integrity of each vegetable. But I’d never had the time or inclination to test that theory.

Being a big fan of oven-roasted dishes, and armed with a glut of eggplants, tomatoes, zucchinis, peppers and onions, I was inspired to create this roasted ratatouille. Unhampered by excessive stirring, the vegetables develop a deliciously sweet roasted flavor and wonderful texture that rise above any stove-top ratatouille I’ve ever tasted.

Since this roasted ratatouille revelation, it’s become one of my favorite ’set and forget’ oven-baked dishes and has revolutionized my culinary repertoire with its sheer versatility. Just as good hot, warm or cold, the ratatouille can be prepared ahead and kept covered in the fridge until you’re ready to roast. And once cooked, any leftovers (unlikely) taste even better over the next day or two.

To date I’ve served roasted ratatouille: tossed with pasta and white beans; nestled in a baguette with brie (heaven!); served on the side of grilled tuna; mixed with couscous and chickpeas; used as a pizza topping with anchovies and olives; and stirred through a shrimp risotto.

I’m sure there are dozens of other ways you could use this ratatouille, and if you can think of any I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments.

Bon appétit!

Roasted Ratatouille

Serves 4 as a side dish

• 14 oz (420g) canned tomatoes — chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon caster sugar
• 2 cloves garlic — minced
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 red onion — thinly sliced and separated into rings
• 2 red peppers — cut into strips
• 1 green pepper — cut into strips
• 2 zucchini (courgette) — cut into half-inch rounds
• 1/2 eggplant (aubergine) — cut into 1-inch cubes

PREHEAT oven to 350F/180C. MIX together the canned tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, sugar, parsley and thyme until combined. OIL a baking dish with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. START by layering a quarter of the sliced onion in the bottom of the baking dish then top with a quarter each of red and green peppers, zucchini and eggplant. SPOON a quarter of the tomato mixture and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over each layer. REPEAT the process to make 4 layers. COVER and bake for 1 hour, then uncover and bake for a further 15 minutes.